Abruzzo Food is Italian cuisine at its Purest
Abruzzo food is regarded as Italian cuisine at its purest – why? Well the region of Abruzzo, surrounded by its famous national parks and being located between the North and South of Italy has been protected from centuries of foreign cuisine influences. For example, in the North Western regions of Italy there is an influence of French food and bordering Alto Adige, Trentino and Veneto there is an Austro-Hungarian influence. The classic bistecca alla Fiorentina and Zuppa Inglese was created for the English colony that settled in Tuscany in the 1800’s. And of course the South of Italy you will find that the cuisine has a strong Spanish and Arabic or North African influence. Not to mention that after conducting a study, Confesercenti, the Italian trade organization, named Abruzzo the best place to dine in Italy.
It comes then as no surprise that Abruzzo, in particular the small town of Villa Santa Maria, is known as the “Home of Chefs” whereby since 1560 some of worlds best Chefs have been learning to cook for Royalty and the top restaurants worldwide. Today the patron saint of Villa Santa Maria and protector of Italian cooks, San Francesco Caracciolo, overlooks Chefs that graduate from Villa Santa Maria that go on to become culinary masters, and in October there is an Abruzzo food festival celebrating Italian cooks, which is also attended by Michelin star chefs.
Abruzzo food is a mixture of different traditional taste and is also based on a number of dishes that unite them. Even today, its variety mirrors its background from a large number of Abruzzo cooking customs from years of uninterrupted traditions – it’s where the cuisine from both the sea and mountains that come alive in Abruzzo food.
The famous “Maccheroni all chitarra” is amongst the most known of the Abruzzo food dishes. The pasta dough, made of eggs and durum wheat, is cut into strips using a “chitarra” (translated literally as “guitar”). This piece of Abruzzo food equipment is made up of a wooden frame, strung with parallel steel strands and by pushing the sheets of pasta dough through with a rolling pin, the characteristics shape of chitarra is obtained. Chitarra is served with various Abruzzo sauces to include: pork, goose, or lamb ragout. This culinary triumph also has an Abruzzo side dishe, “sagne e faggioli”, bean soup with traditional
thin pasta noodles made from flour and water, flavored of a thin sauce made from fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and spicy pepper.
Amongst the other known Abruzzo food dishes, include “gnocchi carrati” from L’Aquila, flavored with bacon, eggs, ewes-milk cheese. From Teramo, a town famous for Abruzzo food, comes “Scripelli” crepes served “Mbusse” (in a type of Abruzzo soup) or used to form a sumptuous soufflé dish, served with a little ragout, and stuffed with chicken liver, meat balls, hard boiled eggs and a fresh ewe’s-milk cheese.Abruzzo food can be quite particular too as Ravioli can also be stuffed with sugar and cinimon, served with thick pork ragout. The “Pastuccia” on the other hand is a stew of polenta that is served with sausage, egg and grated ewe’s-milk cheese; and “pappicci”, thin pasta noodles in a tomato sauce.
Abruzzo food main courses
Abruzzo food main courses consist principally of meat when inland or fish on the coast. Roast lamb, a tasty rustic dish, has several variations such as “arrosticini”, thin wooden skewers with pieces of lamb, cooked over an open fire and often served with bruschetta – which is roasted bread rubbed with garlic and topped with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and can also have toppings to include chopped fresh tomatoes and many other variations.
Typical Abruzzo Food
- Arrosticini – Mutton skewers – a very popular Abruzzo dish and often eaten at restaurants that specialize in Arrosticini
- Porchetta abruzzese – An Abruzzo roast pork dish that dates far back to the 15th century
- Chitarra – A lovely spaghetti-like pasta dish made with eggs and flour. A guitar shaped “instrument” is used to make this pasta hence the name Chitarra which also means guitar.
- Timballo – Also known as “lasagna” is commonly served in Abruzzo.
- Sagne e fagioli – A pasta based dish that is made with white beans and kidney beans. It is almost between a soup and a thick pasta sauce
- Scripelle – omelette-like crepes served with a chicken broth –style sauce
- Ravioli dolci di ricotta – A festive Abruzzo dish here a larger than usual ravioli is stuffed with ricotta, egg yolk, sugar, lemon and cinnamon.
- Gnocchi Carrati – A typical dish from L’Aquila, flavored with bacon eggs and ewe’s-milk cheese.
- Ciambella – A ring cake that is made with egg, four, water, sugar and grated lemon peel
- Parrozzo – a cake that is from Pescara and is Abruzzo’s most popular cakes and made in the shape that resembles a church dome.
- Pizzelle – Sweet wafers that are served with Nutella, jam or eaten on its own.
- Bomba – A custard stuffed doughnut that is often accompanied by a cappuccino
Discover Italy
1 recipes selected, Page 1 of 1
1 recipes selected, Page 1 of 1